Developing, Managing, and Leading English Immersion Camps: Camp Counselor

Course Description

This six-week synchronous online course will help teachers understand how to successfully

lead, manage, and develop materials for immersive English language day camps at their

schools. Each session will include practical advice, concrete examples, and guided activities that lead teachers through the process of planning a camp.

Session topics include:

• The Immersion Camp Mindset
• Establishing Community & Meeting Campers Needs
• Integrating English within a Themed Camp
• Holistic Youth Development at Camp
• Camp Planning Logistics

Participants will also participate in and gain access to a repository of materials for various camp activity types, such as:

• Camp Assemblies
• Songs
• Stories and Chants
• Ice-breakers and Team Building Activities
• Workshops
• Indoor and Outdoor Full Group Games

Session activities will build toward the development of a set of comprehensive plans for a

themed English immersion camp. In the final course session, participants will present and

receive feedback on their plans. Upon completion of the course, teachers will be able to foster

a camping mindset, and will have tools, materials, and resources to develop immersive English camps in their communities.

In addition, they will network with each other to share materials and support camp programs in the future. Participants who participate in 4 of the 6 sessions will receive a certificate.

Facilitator Biography

Tabitha Kidwell teaches in the TESOL program at American University in Washington, DC and

holds a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and Language Education from the University of Maryland,

College Park. She has conducted professional development for language teachers around the

world and is a frequent presenter at regional and international TESOL conferences. Tabitha

especially enjoys working with English teachers and students in immersion camp settings. Shehas led camp programs in Indonesia, the Dominican Republic, Madagascar, Tanzania, and the US. In her free time, Tabitha enjoys hiking, kayaking, and spending time with her 2-year-old son.